Vojaški trg, začetek 20. stoletja / Piazza della Caserma, inizi del XX secolo / Piazza della Caserma, early 20th century (Ph. Francesco Penco – Courtesy of Claudio Ernè)
The era of Slovenian cultural centers
The gradual urbanization of the Slovenian population coincided with the rise of the middle class and the ethnic movement among the Slovenians of Trieste, to which a decisive contribution was made by the Edinost Political Society. It was within the framework of this society, which published the newspaper Edinost, that the idea was created in 1900 to build a multipurpose center for the Trieste Slovenians and other Slavic peoples to socialize at. The plan for the center was created by the architect Max Fabiani, and it was funded by the Trieste Savings and Loan Bank.
The Slovenian Cultural Center or Narodni dom was built in August 1904 on Piazza Caserma, today Via Fabio Filzi. The Slovenian cultural centers, also known as national halls, were the expression of social, political, and economic changes in Europe in the second half of the nineteenth century. The concept of these cultural centers was typical of the Slavic and central European environment. Between 1885 and 1905, such centers were built throughout Slovenian ethnic territory following the Czech model: in Celje, Ljubljana, Maribor, Novo Mesto, Gorizia and Trieste.
The cultural centers served as cultural and political centers for the local Slovenian population, and in some cases for the nation’s overall social life because they hosted political, sports, cultural, and business establishments. The Narodni domin Trieste was an example of such a multipurpose building and it was the most modern of its time. This prominent building in city center also symbolized the power and solidity of the Slovenian community.
